Haloperidol and Irritability: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• March 3, 2010

Haloperidol for Nausea/Vomiting "Haldol was given to my mother for nausea/vomiting in her final days/weeks of battling colon cancer. Haldol worked great for nausea, but the side effects were horrible. She was not drowsy, she was out! Not coherent, confused, wasn't able to eat, and at times was agitated. Be very careful using this medication. It took two days after stopping the medication for it to leave her system and return to a normal state of mind."

• Fra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 4, 2021

Haloperidol for Nausea/Vomiting "I was given IV Haldol in the ER yesterday along with Zofran, Decadron, and Benadryl for a migraine with nausea. I react terribly to Compazine and Reglan (I feel like I can’t stand being in my own skin, want to climb the walls, etc. Indescribable, really, but awful)! I specifically asked if there was any chance Haldol would cause a similar reaction and was assured it would not. It did. I’m still agitated, unable to sleep, and anxious this morning. I cannot wait until it wears off. Definitely not worth it."

• Man...
• January 23, 2019

Haloperidol for Nausea/Vomiting "I went to the ED for kidney pain and nausea. I have allergies to IV anti-nausea meds but can take them orally. They decided to give me 0.5 of Haldol intravenously. Something inside me was telling me NOT to allow this, but I was so nauseated, and they said it would help. I can take oral anti-nauseous meds, so I was confused as to why I was getting Haldol. The FDA hasn’t approved the intravenous use of Haldol in ER settings. Unfortunately, I found all of this out after the fact. Five minutes after being injected, I got hot flashes and a huge panic attack. Benadryl helped, but my pulse went to 180 bpm and slowly tapered down to 100 bpm-that’s where it stayed until this evening when I’m finally at a normal 86 bpm. It’s been two days, and I’m still feeling agitated and anxious. My advice to anyone being offered Haldol: if an ER doc wants to try to see if it works for you-say no, ask for something safer!"

• Dea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 15, 2021

For Psychosis "This drug haloperidol is causing me to be extremely agitated. I can't stop moving around, the restlessness is intense. I don't sleep since I've started haloperidol, it's making me smoke so many cigarettes. I want to sleep all the time but can't because I am unable to stop moving my arms and legs. Since I've started haloperidol, I have an uncontrollable urge to smoke. I waste all my money now on cigarettes and can't escape, it's hard to describe how agitated I am when I take this drug."

• mmm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 15, 2023

Haloperidol for Nausea/Vomiting "Was given for nausea that didn’t respond to Zofran. Almost immediately after the IM injection, I became drowsy and agitated and had such bad anxiety I felt like I needed to leave the hospital. I was up all night with muscle twitches and anxiety, I couldn’t stop pacing. Ended up going back to the hospital for Ativan and Benadryl, and I was told my reaction was a common reaction to Haldol. It took me days to feel back to normal. I’d rather be sick than take this ever again!"

• Lol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 15, 2020

For Nausea/Vomiting "My 19 y.o. son was admitted to the ER, he had been throwing up all day, and there was some blood in his vomit. Because of COVID-19, I was unable to go in with him, which was horrible because of this kind of situation. They gave him a few meds along with Haldol by IV. He came out after 9 hours doing better, but the next day he kept calling me at work saying he was so restless and couldn't stand being in his body, really struggling. I talked him through some meditation, and he took walks, but today (2 days after) he is still somewhat restless and agitated, not his personality at all. It made me look at what they gave him, Haldol. I was shocked when I read the discharge papers as I'd only known this to be given for severe dementia in elderly people who become basically zombies from it. After reading others' experiences, it confirms why he's been so off. If I'd been in there with him, there is no way I'd have said okay to Haldol being administered. Never again. Poor kid."

• Jay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 30, 2021

For Nausea/Vomiting "Horrible ER experience, was given haloperidol for bad migraine/vomiting. Drug made me feel like climbing the walls and like I was coming out of my skin. Same feeling I get from compazine. I have compazine listed as an allergy, so why they thought they could give me Haldol is beyond me. Relieved migraine, but the agitation experienced and hopeless feeling was definitely not worth it."

• Jc2...
• May 2, 2018

For Psychosis "I was extremely irritable, anxious, and delusional. I still have delusions but have only been taking it for 1 day. I feel better, much less obsessive about the odd thoughts I was having. My sleep is also back on track, as it was all over the place. Hopefully, the longer I take it, the better it gets, but so far, I'm feeling much better overnight."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 4, 2017

For Nausea/Vomiting "I was given a shot of Haldol for gastroparesis-related symptoms at the ER. It caused immediate and severe agitation and restlessness. The worst sensation of my life. I wanted to rip my skin off. They gave me Benadryl to try to combat the reaction. It temporarily lessened the symptoms, but took over two days to get out of my system. I will NEVER take this medication again."

• onl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2019

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I took a small dose of haloperidol along with a myriad of strong medication I was overprescribed by a reputable, top psychiatrist about a year ago. It made me severely agitated, impulsive, and deepened my self-loathing to the point where I tried to commit suicide. It was my worst (and hopefully last) attempt. I lost consciousness and wouldn't be here had someone not found me... and I am now in a healthy enough place to say I'm so, so, so grateful to them. Please be careful with this one."

• Ter...
• March 20, 2019

"I witnessed a doctor recommend and give instructions to inject Haldol without a diagnosis. Experienced extreme agitation, pacing, tremors, insomnia, depression, weight loss, confusion, and overall poor quality of life. Nothing could really be done except give some beta blockers and wait 30 days. We even had to move to a more remote area for the time being to minimize contact with other people. This is because the behavior is alarming and uncontrollable. He also had trouble speaking during this time. He does not have Tourette's! My friend doesn't have anything that would need to be medicated for except now depression. I read a similar experience. This drug should not be used."

• Car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 11, 2022

For Psychosis "My wife had a drug reaction in a hospital to the drug Reglan injected into her IV on Aug 3, 2017, that blew her brain to pieces. A week later, she was diagnosed as bipolar and given the drug haloperidol in pill form to treat periods of confusion and agitation. At that time, she could not take it. Even the smallest doses made her almost comatose. Five years later, two months after the second Pfizer COVID shot from her HMO, my wife completely forgot the house we have lived in for twenty-two years, the house that has been in her family for 70 years. I thought she had had a stroke. I took her to the hospital that checked everything, did not wash her for three days, and returned her to me still confused. I pulled out the five-year-old haloperidol prescription and started her on one 0.5 mg pill per 24 hours. Instant improvement. She's up to three 0.5 mg doses in 24 hours. My wife's HMO seems determined to ignore us. I just want my wife better. Low-dose pill form is working well."

• Ter...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 27, 2021

"I was given 5 mg through an IV of Haldol for panic attacks on a Saturday night around 4 pm. Immediately felt like I needed to crawl out of my skin. I came home after the hospital let me leave, and I could not stay still. I felt so agitated and uncomfortable. I literally felt crazy. I finally fell asleep. I was out from 7 pm till 7 am the next morning. When I woke up, I wasn't able to open my eyes, and I had a dying desire to pace back and forth later that night, Sunday. I was able to open my eyes again, but all day Monday, I paced back and forth nonstop. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, I had TERRIBLE anxiety, waking up at 4 am unable to sleep at all, and could not sit still. My mind was racing 100 miles an hour. It's now Wednesday, and the side effects are finally starting to wear off. I've been drinking a lot of water, taking vitamins B6, C, and D, hoping it leaves my system soon. This drug should literally be illegal. It is absolutely terrible and should not be given to anyone."

• Lau...
• August 10, 2019

For Nausea/Vomiting "Was given haloperidol in the ER through IV. Within seconds, I got a hot flash like the menopause kind, and then I felt like I couldn't sit still. They wouldn't give me anything to reverse it. Stayed like that for 2 hours, then they discharged me. It is 14 hours later, and I'm still feeling agitated and restless. I hope it stops soon because Benadryl is making it worse."

• Jan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 10, 2021

For Nausea/Vomiting "I was given Haldol for my gastroparesis. I had slight nausea. But mainly had epigastric/chest pain from one of my 'episodes'. The nurse came in and said the doctor ordered Haldol and Benadryl, IV. Um... OK... I was worried about the Benadryl making me drowsy. But boy, was I wrong. The Haldol!!! I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin! I was restless, agitated, I thought I was going to go CRAZY! I had to keep moving my arms and legs. And all I wanted to do was rest! But every time I closed my eyes, I would see crazy images in bright neon colors. I felt like I was on an ACID TRIP! I hadn't slept in 3 or 4 days from my abdominal pain. I also had to lay still while they took me in to do a CT scan. I really thought I was going to have to jump off of the table and run out of the hospital. I will NEVER take Haldol again!!!! I will be listing it as an allergy! I think that if you are crazy, it helps you, but if you are straight... Haldol will make you crazy!!!"